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1999 Consumer Electronics Show READ ALL ABOUT IT! PAGE 2 WebStar Gets Plug From Internet Panel Dubbing this year’s CES “the show about convergence,” WebTv President Steve Perlman demonstrated EchoStar’s newest set-top box at yesterday's “DTV meets the Internet” panel. Perlman showed the audience the pause and storage capabilities of the new box as well as a chat room option that allows viewers to discuss with other WebTv subscribers programs they are currently watching. Perlman predicted the WebStar receiver will increasingly use EchoStar’s satellite feed to download Internet material, rather than the phone connection it is currently using. The WebStar receiver also has a program guide that includes weekly listings as well as daily listings, and the box will intuitively store movies and programs, similar to those viewers have already watched. Perlman also predicted future generations of the WebStar receiver will have as much as 30 hours of digital storage space, as hard drives increase in capacity. While the crowd was impressed by the WebStar box, Perlman experienced partial loss of the satellite feed, resulting in approximately fifty percent blank channels. In another demonstration John Taplin, President of Intertainer, demonstrated his company’s Internet video system. Intertainer delivers movies, music videos, and programming over an Internet connection to televisions, allowing viewers to access Internet sites and purchase products relating to the video being shown. For example, a viewer can click on a GAP commercial and purchase khakis, or click on a music video and purchase an album. Unlike WebTv, the video stream pauses when it is interrupted by a viewer accessing an Internet site, and it does not include e-mail. TURN THE PAGE OTHER ISSUES: Thursday, Jan. 7, 1999 Friday, Jan. 8, 1999 Sunday, Jan. 10, 1999   Please direct questions about this site to general.mail@satbiznews.com q 2000 Satellite Business News Inc. All rights reserved.